Clash of the Vodacom Cup titans
The two most successful teams in Vodacom Cup history, the Golden Lions and Griquas, face each other in a vital match for both sides as the race to the play-offs heat up.
With eight titles between them, the Golden Lions and Griquas have dominated the competition since the inception of the Vodacom Cup in 1998, having won four titles each.
Both teams need to return to winning ways if they are going to qualify for the next stage of the competition however, with the quarterfinals just three weeks away.
Griquas, currently third in the North Section, have a slightly easier route to the play-offs than the Golden Lions, who will treat Friday afternoon’s clash at the UJ Stadium in Johannesburg as a must-win.
Both these teams lost last week and to make matters even trickier for the Golden Lions, they still have to travel to Nelspruit next week to face the log-leading Pumas.
The pick of the matches in the South Section will kick off at Newlands at 14.30 on Saturday afternoon, when the Vodacom Cup champions of 2011 and 2012, the Pampas XV and Western Province square off.
They occupy positions two and three on the log and are in good positions to make the play-offs, but defeat on Saturday could put a dent in their ambitions to gain that important home ground advantage in the quarters.
The front runners in the two sections, the Sharks XV (South) and Pumas (North), play at home this weekend and should have too much fire-power for the Boland Cavaliers and Limpopo Blue Bulls. Victory should be enough to secure both these top teams a place in the play-offs.
After losing at home last weekend, the Blue Bulls and Free State XV will be hell bent on getting back to winning ways when they travel to Springs and Alice on Saturday to face the Falcons and Border Bulldogs respectively.
This match is especially crucial for the Free State XV, after losing their last three matches. The Bulldogs, like the Limpopo Blue Bulls, have not won a single match yet this season.
Two interesting mid-table clashes are scheduled for Friday. In Potchefstroom, the Leopards XV will be looking to hang on to their second position on the North Section log against the Griffons, who will be travelling in a confident mood after they beat the Golden Lions last weekend.
And at the Central Grounds in Uitenhage, the EP Kings and SWD Eagles will fight it out to remain in play-off contention in the South Section, with the hosts probably in a better position following their good win over the Free State XV in Bloemfontein last weekend.
The Eagles though can never be discounted, especially since they ran the Sharks XV close in George last Friday.
Round Five fixtures:
Friday, April 12
Golden Lions v Griquas
Kick-off: 15.00
Venue: UJ Stadium, Johannesburg
Sharks XV v Boland Cavaliers
Kick-off: 16.30
Venue: Kings Park, Durban
Leopards XV v Griffons
Kick-off: 17.05
Venue: Profert Olen Park, Potchefstroom
EP Kings v SWD Eagles
Kick-off: 19.00
Venue: Central Grounds, Uitenhage
Saturday, April 13
Pampas XV v Western Province
Kick-off: 14.30
Venue: DHL Newlands, Cape Town
Falcons v Blue Bulls
Kick-off: 15.00
Venue: Hugenote High School, Springs
Pumas v Limpopo Blue Bulls
Kick-off: 15.00
Venue: Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit
Border Bulldogs v Free State XV
Kick-off: 15.00
Venue: University of Fort Hare, Alice
Logs:
North Section:
1 Pumas – P 4 W 4 D 0 L 0 Pts 20
2 Leopards XV – P 4 W 3 D 0 L 1 Pts 14
3 Blue Bulls – P 4 W 2 D 0 L 2 Pts 13
4 Griquas – P 4 W 4 D 0 L 2 Pts 12
5 Griffons – P 4 W 2 D 0 L 2 Pts 9
6 Falcons – P 4 W 2 D 0 L 2 Pts 9
7 Golden Lions – P 4 W 1 D 0 L 3 Pts 8
8 Limpopo Blue Bulls – P 4 W 0 D 0 L 4 Pts 0
South Section:
1 Sharks XV – P 4 W 4 D 0 L 0 Pts 18
2 Pampas – P 4 W 3 D 1 L 0 Pts 16
3 Western Province – P 4 W 2 D 1 L 1 Pts 12
4 EP Kings – P 4 W 2 D 1 L 1 Pts 11
5 Free State XV – P 4 W 1 D 0 L 3 Pts 8
6 SWD – P 4 W 1 D 0 L 3 Pts 7
7 Boland Cavaliers – P 4 W 1 D 1 L 2 Pts 7
8 Border Bulldogs – P 4 W 0 D 0 L 0 Pts 0
